For those curious or interested about Indiana’s
judicial history, the Reports of Cases in the Supreme Court
of the State of Indiana, or Indiana Cases
(1848-1981), will satisfy your curiosity! The reports contain
information such as the names of judges that presided during the
reporting period as well as the names of the attorneys who
practiced in the Supreme Court during this period. This document
provides an alphabetical index of the cases tried and provides
detailed accounts and narratives of each case. Reports of Cases
in the Supreme Court can be found in the Indiana collection, I
345.4 I 385S. Indiana Cases are the precursor to the well-known
North Eastern Reporter (Indiana Cases). Indiana
Cases are a valuable research tool for historians, but can also
be used by genealogists who might be looking for family members
involved in early litigation or who may have served on the
Supreme Court.

Since
1918, the “eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh
month” has been designated as a day to honor veterans.
Originally known as Armistice Day, it was first meant to mark
the cessation of hostilities during World War I and honor those
who had fought in it. Following the end of World War II, it
became known as Veterans Day and was officially in honor of both
wars. It wasn’t until after the Korean War that it was
designated to honor all veterans. Government agencies are closed
on this day and many private institutions do so as well. One big
difference between Veterans Day and other federal holidays is
that Veterans Day is always celebrated on November 11,
regardless of what day of the week it falls on. The Uniform
Holiday Bill of 1968 was created in order to make federal
holidays be observed on a Monday, giving federal employees a
three day weekend and thus encouraging travel and other
recreational activities. However, it was soon realized that
November 11 had too much historical and symbolic significance to
a great majority of people, so Veterans Day was permanently
placed on the 11th. For more history of Veterans Day,
be sure to check out this site from the VA. The VA
also has a kids’ site! Children can visit here to learn about
veterans, Veterans Day, and to play games & do activities.
Finally, you also may be interested in this Veterans Day timeline from AmericasLibrary.gov.

As
we celebrate Veterans day, let us remember our women veterans.
The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs
(DVA) website has a section devoted to
women veterans. In October 2007, it was estimated
that Indiana had more than 33,000 women veterans. Indiana has
veterans from every war period including World War I. There are
currently more than 2,200 women on active duty, not including
the Indiana National Guard. Many women veterans are unaware of
the benefits and services available to them.
This portion of the DVA website is devoted to
offering resources for women veterans, their families and
friends. It contains a
Women Veteran Coordinators Directory; a
Crisis Hotline Directory by county; and a link to
the National Women’s Health Information Center.
In order to connect women to information and resources, there is
Hoosier Women Veterans Registry that
is confidential and used only to link resources to women that
need them. For more information, call 317-232-3921 or
email the coordinator. Let us remember to honor
all of our veterans for their sacrifice and service to our State
and our country.

This
Sunday marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. Don’t forget to
roll your clocks back Saturday before bedtime! According to
NASA, Benjamin Franklin is first credited with the concept of
DST. The basic principle is that it ensures that we get the most
use of daylight hours as possible. However, it wasn’t widely
used in the United States until World War I, when Canada and
Europe began to use it as well. Although it was signed into
official federal law in 1966, any state can opt out of it.
Currently, there are only two – Arizona and Hawaii – who do so.
The dates of DST have shifted somewhat over the years. In 1986,
it was changed to be the first Sunday in April through the last
Sunday in October. As of 2007, DST now runs from the second
Sunday of March through the first Sunday of November. For a
complete list of DST schedules in the United States and Europe
through 2015, be sure to check out this site from NASA.

The
days are shorter and dark hours are longer. The temperature is
dropping outside and the heat is up at home and work. How can
this affect your health and that of your loved ones? According
to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), cold weather can
bring challenges for those with asthma, immune system
deficiencies, lupus, and arthritis. See "When
the weather gets cold", from a 2009 issue of the
NIH News in Health for more information. The National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health provides details on
conditions they call cold stress: hypothermia, frostbite, trench
foot, and chilblains. Learn how to prevent damage to your body
due to cold weather using their Cold Stress Fast Facts.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD – not to be confused with
Social Anxiety Disorder - also affects a portion of the
population during winter. SAD is a type of depression that
occurs at a certain time of the year. The Fall/Winter depression
symptoms can include extreme or sudden mood changes, anxiety,
depression, cravings for foods high in carbohydrates, weight
gain, and difficulty concentrating and processing information.
According to NAMI, the symptoms of SAD
usually begin in October or November. A SAD article from the Mayo Clinic
encourages, “Don't brush off that yearly feeling as simply a
case of the ‘winter blues’ or a seasonal funk that you have to
tough out on your own — you may have seasonal affective
disorder... Addressing the problem can help you keep your mood
and motivation steady throughout the year.” See the Medline Plus article on SAD
for more information.